


Keep From Drowning

by Onehelluvapilot



Series: Tumblr prompt fics [57]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Gen, Hurt Lancelot (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Cuddling, Protective Merlin (Merlin), Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:27:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28344609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot
Summary: Lancelot gets sick and Merlin takes care of him
Relationships: Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin)
Series: Tumblr prompt fics [57]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1922554
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	Keep From Drowning

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Drowning by Radio Company

The narrow bed was not nearly big enough for both of them, but Lancelot wasn’t in any condition to stand and walk to his own room, and Merlin wasn’t about to leave his friend alone. Not when he was clutching his waist like a drowning man clung to a piece of driftwood in a storm. The sick knight often got like this when he was hurting, holding onto someone like he’d slip beneath the waves without a human touch to hold him up. It made Merlin’s heart break as he thought about all the time Lancelot had spent alone and all the scars he’d picked up during that time. How many times had he felt like he was drowning in the pain of an injury or discomfort of an illness, without any gentle medical care or even a compassionate hand to hold?

“Shh, it’s alright,” he soothed when the knight whimpered. He brushed his hair back from his damp forehead where it stuck to the sweat. He’d had a fever for three days now after falling ill after escorting Merlin out to tend to a village suffering from the same ailment. The warlock himself seemed immune to the disease, as his magic protected him, and he’d managed to save most of the villagers by enchanting their water supply with healing properties. They hadn’t been magically cured, but they were fortified enough to fight off the ailment by themselves and the knight and warlock had returned home after they were convinced that no one would die. Lancelot had begun to feel poorly on the return journey, and within a day of their arrival in Camelot he had collapsed. Merlin had been caring for him ever since, trying to help him in the same way as he helped the villagers, but it was hard for the magic tonics to be very effective when Lancelot usually couldn’t keep them down for more than ten minutes before throwing up.

“M’lin,” the knight whimpered. He pressed his forehead back to his friend’s chest, arms wrapping tightly around his waist as he tried to curl up more into his warmth. He shivered and complained of being cold almost all the time, despite the sickly heat radiating from his body.

“It’s okay, I’m right here,” the warlock reassured him, rubbing his back gently. He whispered fortifying spells directly into his hair as often as he could, along with coaxing him to drink small amounts of enchanted water. It probably didn’t feel that way to him, but the knight was actually doing a little better today. He’d kept down a slice of bread with a little butter on it as well as some honeyed tea, and Merlin was confident that the food and sugar would help give him enough energy to recover. Until his fever broke, though, he’d stay and do his best to keep him comfortable. He gently cradled the back of his friend’s head with one hand, hoping his touch helped keep the storm at bay.


End file.
